David Beckham

April 1, 2010
Gr 4-6-These books are written with such enthusiasm and authority that they have the feel of ESPN broadcasts. Titles describe the evolution of each athletes career and provide a little information about their personal lives. The chapters on charitable giving feel a bit tacked on, but it is refreshing to discover a resource, especially for youth, that plays up the good in athletes. The strength of the series, however, is the powerful descriptions of pivotal game plays. Dynamic action-shots, Did you know? fact boxes, and clean layouts add to the appeal.

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2010
Grades 5-8 Aimed at confirmed soccer fans who can follow sentences like Real Madrid, however, owned the tiebreaker because of its 1-0-1 record against Barcelona, this profile of the sports best-known active player recaps career highlights through midsummer of 2009. Though Roselius pays lip service to the premise of the Sports Stars Who Give Back series by tallying Beckhams statements and activities on behalf of UNICEF, Childrens Corners in Malawi, and other charities, the focus is mainly divided between on-field heroics (or, in several cases, outbursts) and the athletes off-field status as celebrity tabloid fodder. Drawn entirely from published sources (judging by the extensive endnotes), illustrated with noncandid color photos, and laced with sound-bite quotes, this may not put Beckhams achievements in historical perspective or afford fresh insights into his character, but it will serve as a functional replacement for out-of-date biographies.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)